UT~Keith Brown, patriarch of music group The 5 Browns charged with sex abuse

[Missizzy]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110217/...F0aGVyb2Z1dGFo

Father of Utah music group charged with abuse

"The patriarch of a prominent family musical group has been charged with sexually abusing his three daughters in a stunning revelation that was followed four days later by the father careening his Porsche off a 300-foot enbankment into an icy stream.

Keith Brown, whose daughters are part of The 5 Browns, survived the crash and faces one first-degree felony count of sodomy on a child and two second-degree felony counts of sexual abuse of a child, according to Fourth District Court records obtained Wednesday.

The 5 Browns are a classical piano group from Utah that features the three sisters and their two brothers. The Juilliard-trained siblings have achieved critical and popular acclaim while appearing on "Oprah," "The View" and other shows, and being profiled by "60 Minutes."....."

and

"...The AP does not generally identify people who say they were sexually assaulted, but the Brown women have chosen to be identified and are cooperating with police..."

and

"...Court documents state the allegations stem from separate occasions between November 1990 and October 1992, November 1990 and November 1992 and March 1997 and March 1998 in Utah County...."

and

"....Keith Brown and Lisa Brown, 54, the mother of the group members, were hospitalized after the Valentine's Day crash that mangled the Porsche beyond recognition in Little Cottonwood Canyon on the east side of the Salt Lake valley...."

more at link

[Missizzy]

http://www.the5browns.com/

Wikipedia (Thumbnails)

Wikipedia (Thumbnails)
Wikipedia (Thumbnails)

My prayers are with those young women, their brothers and their mother tonight. What a brave group. This reminds me of the Mohler children stepping forward and saying enough is enough. May they find peace and healing. To live a total lie for so many years. Shame on Mr. Brown.

[tlcya]

oh my. I applaud these young ladies, for having the courage to stand up, and face their abuser, and for bringing the attention that will surely come from their openness about this.

[SuziQ]

Sounds like mom is sticking by her husband since she was at a Valentines dinner with him a few days after he was charged. There has been some speculation that the car accident was a murder suicide attempt. At this point that is RUMOR ONLY.

[Missizzy]

I have a strong feeling that the dedication and fortitude that it took to be an accomplished artist had something to do with the strength these young women are exhibiting now. Their father pushed and encouraged them to be all they could be. Well, they are. They are speaking out.

I stand in awe of the courage that takes.

[Missizzy]

How did anyone survive that crash?

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slides...31d3973649308/


ETA:

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51...child.html.csp

Brown daughters: We were sexually abused by our father

"The siblings of the classical piano quintet known as The 5 Browns have been in fame’s spotlight for nearly a decade, known as members of a wholesome, inseparable family. On Wednesday, the group’s three adult sisters publicly unearthed a family secret. Their father, they said, sexually abused them as children...."

and

".....On Wednesday night, Brown and his wife remained in serious condition. Brown is scheduled for an initial court appearance Thursday...."

more at link

[SuziQ]

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51...child.html.csp

(snip)
A source close to the family told The Tribune the sisters called police after recently learning their father, who managed the quintet until 2008, planned to once again manage child musicians.

[Missizzy]

We discovered a similar possible scenario while researching the Mohler case. The Mohler children were in their late 20s and early 30s and their father had remarried, when they disclosed. A couple of the uncles also had new families. So, essentially, lots of new possible victims. The adult children were starting their own families. It's a well known fact that old abuse wounds resurface at different life stages as the human mind reassesses the abuse again and again and considers all the possible implications.

I'm very pleased that these young women decided to take a stand. Hopefully, they will gain support from one another. I really wonder where their mother stands on this issue. Was this a murder-suicide attempt by Keith? Had Keith just told her? Did she already know? It's hard for me to believe that she would have agreed to go out to dinner with him on Valentine's Day had she known that a court date was looming Thursday. Wouldn't she have been present for her children at such a traumatic time?

[JoeFromLB]

BREAKING: Dad pleads Guilty

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51...abuse.html.csp

[Missizzy]

I want to say that's it "refreshing" to see a person take full responsibility for their crime but I have to wonder if Mr. Brown really does not want the family laundry aired.

From Joe's link above:

"The father of musical group The 5 Browns on Thursday pleaded guilty to sexually abusing his daughters when they were children.

Keith Scott Brown, 55, was charged with one count of first-degree felony sodomy upon a child and two counts of second-degree felony sexual abuse of a child. A sentencing was scheduled for March, but the agreement calls for 10 years to life on the sodomy charge and 1-to-15 years on each of the sex abuse charges. The sentences will run concurrently, said Deputy Utah County Attorney David Sturgill.

Brown appeared in court Thursday, but declined to comment to reporters after the hearing...."

more at link


It's amazing to me that someone could have walked away from that crash, given the appearance of the remains of that Porsche, and be well enough to appear in court today. I'm assuming he's free until March.

[Missizzy]

I found an article which precedes the issue of sexual abuse charges. This was written the day after the crash. I just do not understand how a man can be in critical condition on a Monday night and walk into court on Thursday, where he was described as having scratches. Was Mr. Brown actually in that car? He's the one who said they were knocked out and when he awoke, called LE. I've looked but cannot find an update on Ms. Brown's condition.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7...l?s_cid=rss-30

Parents of 5 Browns rescued from Little Cottonwood Canyon

February 15, 2011

"LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON — The parents of a piano-playing family from Utah County were rescued late Monday after their car drove off the road of Little Cottonwood Canyon and plummeted about 500 feet.

Lisa Brown, 54, was hospitalized in extremely critical condition and her husband, Keith Brown, 55, in critical condition following the canyon accident...."

and

"...The couple was wearing their seat belts, which probably saved their lives, Heiner said. They suffered serious injuries, however, and were physically unable to move out of their car. Rescuers say the man was incredibly lucky that he not only was able to reach a cell phone, but that he had reception.

Fire crews and paramedics drove up and down the canyon, searching for debris or skid marks or anything that looked like a car had gone off the road. Brown told dispatchers he had swerved to miss a big rock....."

"....One of the more puzzling points to rescuers was that the trees and scrub oak between the main road and the creek seemed to be undisturbed, at least from what they could tell in the dark, [Paramedic/firefighter] Heiner said. He said it was possible the car launched off the road and over the trees because of the steepness of the terrain.

more at link (plus 5 photos)



Why is something really seeming to not fit here? Did the first responders find the rock? The car is a Porsche convertible. I can almost buy a slow but terrifying roll down a 300-500 foot embankment and living. However, launching over trees and plummeting? There's hardly anything left of the car.

[Missizzy]

Here we go again. There are posts (not saying there has been official confirmation) here saying that Keith Brown reported the abuse of his daughters to his Bishop but that the Bishop did not call police. It wasn't until the young women, themselves, reported the abuse to police that action was taken. Also many people are wondering about the "facts" concerning the car accident and the issue of Brown being free until sentencing:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social..._77700429.html

[Missizzy]

This seems to confirm that Keith Brown did report the abuse to a Bishop. Note that the article does not use the word, "if", concerning a confession.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/entert...thers-recovery

Sisters in 5 Brown won't talk about parents


"The three sisters in the acclaimed 5 Browns classical music group are praying for the recovery of their mother after she was seriously injured in a car crash with her husband, the group's spokesman said.

Kimball Thomson told KSL that Desirae, Deondra and Melody Brown have no immediate plans to talk about their parents after a tumultuous week that also saw their father plead guilty to sexually abusing them when they were children...."

and

"...the Juilliard-trained sisters can't comment on when, where and how their father went to his Mormon bishop to confess, but that they brought the allegations to the attention of police.

"They came forward because they heard their father might be working with or come into contact with other young women and girls" as clients or music students..."


more at link

[Missizzy]

Another car accident? Should this man be driving? He seems to be putting himself as well as other drivers at great risk...not to mention any passengers he might have. He's very fortunate to have a garage full of vehicles which are rated to extremely safe in the event of a collision. Not every is so lucky. It also bothers me that those vehicles were bought with funds procured through his children's great success. Thank God that the 17 year old driver of the other vehicle was not badly injured. This also states that his wife has been released from the hospital.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7...l?s_cid=rss-32

Father of 5 Browns involved in another accident


"The father of The 5 Browns, recently convicted of sexually abusing his daughters, has been involved in a second traffic accident in less than three weeks. Keith Brown, 55, was cited for improper lane change Thursday after police say the convertible BMW 330ci he was driving, drifted into another lane of travel in Highland on state Route 92 near state Route 74, causing a second vehicle vehicle to hit him.

Brown, the father of the musical group The 5 Browns, pleaded guilty to one first-degree felony count of sodomy on a child and two second-degree felony counts of sexual abuse of a child, involving his three daughters. Brown will be sentenced on March 31, 2011.

When police talked to Brown, he said "he did not remember" the accident, according to a Lone Peak Police Department report...."

More at link (plus two pages of interesting comments)

ETA: This man really should be off the road. If he kills himself in a car accident, surely others will suffer and that would be devastatingly difficult for his children who have come forward. Can't they revoke his bail or bond for his own safety?

[Missizzy]

Let's hope that Brown isn't responsible for driving himself to court this morning!!

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51...brown.html.csp

5 Browns dad to be sentenced for sexual abuse

[Missizzy]

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51...abuse.html.csp

5 Browns father gets 10 to life for abusing daughters

A judge on Thursday sentenced the father of The 5 Browns family piano performance group to serve 10 years to life in prison for sexually abusing his daughters when they were children.

Keith Brown, 55, pleaded guilty in February to one first-degree felony count of sodomy on a child and two second-degree felony counts of sexual abuse of a child. Fourth District Judge David Mortensen ordered him to serve 10 years to life in prison on the felony count, and one to 15 years on the other two counts, but both sentences will run concurrently. Mortensen handed down the sentence after saying, "I think it’s obvious a home should be a refuge and a safe place, and that a parent should be a protector."

more at link

[Missizzy]

I seriously doubt that the young women are happy about this situation. This seems like a very odd statement for a DA to make:

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51...abuse.html.csp

After six months of discussions and negotiations, Brown was charged in February with one first-degree felony count of sodomy on a child and two second-degree felony counts of sexual abuse of a child.

The charges stem from three instances in the 1990s, but [Judge David] Mortensen said the state’s Board of Pardons and Parole should consider the fact that there "could have been many more charges."

Deputy Utah County Attorney David Sturgill said Brown’s daughters were abused for years and that it "has changed the course of their lives."

"This is what the victims wanted," Sturgill said of the sentence. "I hope they’re happy [with the resolution]."

more at link

[Hopeful One]

I have never even heard of the Five Browns but saw a few articles today. I have a couple questions. Was it ever revealed whether or not his blood tests turned up any drugs or alcohol in his system after the first crash? And the last I heard, his wife is still with him. Why????

[Missizzy]

From reading through just some of the hundreds of comments about this case, it does seem as if the man's wife is standing by her husband. I've read official statements from the victims which seem "cool" about their mother. They state that they are praying for her recovery but no comments about how she's been a great support for them. There has also been so official statement from the mother about the crime, which I find appalling. I guess she's choosing her husband over her children's well being.

If you'll note that clip above which states that six months of negotiations when into this plea, it's now clear that the mother must have known all the details. Yet she chose to go out to a fancy restaurant with her husband~her own daughters' rapist~on Valentine's Day, the day before the press release.

I'd still like to know the details about the earlier disclosures to the Bishop.

[MorenoI]

Never heard of this group, but I saw this in the post and decided to read up on them and remembered a story here on WS.

They are very brave girls to stand up to their father for fear of him hurting other girls! Love the fact that they are moving on, they are performing here in Florida about 30 minutes away.

http://events.pbpulse.com/stuart-fl/...5-the-5-browns

OT: Would have liked to go to the show. Weather is horrible.

[Missizzy]

I'd also never heard of the group but my husband watched some of the videos available on the internet (youtube and several other places) and said they are phenomenal. They are all tremendously gifted and classically trained. The fact that these young women were hiding such a horrible secret and they still achieved this level of expertise and success just amazes me.

Once again, where is their mother? Where are their aunts and uncles and grandparents? Are they being shunned by family for revealing this ugly secret? People in their mid to late twenties still rely very strongly on family support.